To help get in shape for my Mt. Ranier climb, I traveled on my weekend off to the Presidential Range in April to test out my newly purchased ice axe and crampons. Tuckerman’s is a classic East coast ski experience that I had never tried before. It is an easy-to-hike to ravine, several hundred feet bellow the highest summit in New Hampshire, Mt. Washington (6,289′).

Mt. Washington is home to the strongest winds in the United States ever recorded outside of a cyclone (231mph). Storms at the summit can be wicked, but in the spring with beautiful weather, Tuckerman’s is a spring-skiing party.

On these perfect days, you will not find solitude on this mountain.

I booked on up there in 8.5 hours from Philadelphia (I dropped my daughter Ella off at my parent’s house in CT). After sleeping in the car, I hiked to the top of the ravine, skied down and back to the car. Hike- 4 hours, Ski 45 minutes. The drive home after picking up Ella, was 9.5 hours thanks to traffic. I got to bed for much needed rest before the 24-hour call-shift scheduled for the next day.

In the life of an anesthesiologist, ski enthusiast and masochist, sometimes you have to do what it takes to squeeze adventure into life.